On top of the Big Sky

The Portland State women’s soccer team began conference play with twin 3-0 victories over Eastern Washington and Montana at Hillsboro Stadium on Friday and Sunday.

The Viking offense sprung to life over the weekend and showed glimpses of the form that helped them win last season’s Big Sky Conference regular season title. With Portland State’s two wins on six unanswered goals, the Vikings start off at the top of the conference standings.

“Three is a pretty good number for us this year,” Portland State head coach Laura Schott said. “We’ve got some pretty good goals, and the defense got two shutouts. That is always what we aim for.”

Going into Friday’s conference-opening match with Eastern Washington, the Vikings held a 4-7-1 record in non-conference action. Portland State set the offensive tone early with the assistance of an Eagles mistake. An Eastern Washington defender was called for a handball in the penalty area in the 11th minute to set up a Vikings penalty kick.

Sophomore midfielder Amanda Dutra calmly slotted the ball to the right side of the net, and as Eagles’ keeper Jamie Walker dove for the save, the ball bounced off her arm and into the net to give the Viks an early 1-0 lead.

In the 31st minute, freshman forward Eryn Brown doubled the lead with a perfectly executed give-and-go play with junior Melissa Trammell. Attacking on the right flank, Brown passed the ball to Trammell, who threaded the ball through the Eagles defense towards Brown, who took the shot to score her second goal of the season.

Portland State outshot Eastern Washington 9-4 in the first half and had seven corner kicks to the Eagles’ zero.

Trammell, apparently not happy with just chalking up an assist on the day, sealed the 3-0 victory in the second half when she scored in the 52nd minute of play.

“The ball came down the right side and Megan Martin made a really good pass to Frankie Ross,” Trammell said. “The ball went off her head into the 6-yard box and I headed it in.”

Both Ross and Trammell agree that their team began conference action on the right foot in Friday’s game.

“I thought it was the best performance of the season for us,” Trammell said. “It’s what we have been working hard for and it’s definitely what we need to go into conference and have a good season.”

Ross echoed her comment and added that she felt the team was successful because the Vikings were connecting their passes, taking their shots and winning 50-50 balls.

“I think this is our first complete game where we had everything going for us,” she said.

Schott, last season’s Big Sky Coach of the Year, said that she felt their conference opener was the most complete game of the season so far.

“I saw a lot of really good things out there. It’s a good start to our Big Sky campaign,” she said. “The offense had been clicking in certain times this year, but today they got it all together.”

With the win, the Viks were finally able to snap a five-game winless streak while maintaining a shutout victory. As has been the case in recent games, Portland State keepers Rachel Jarvis and Lainey Hulsizer split the net-minding duties by both playing for a half. Jarvis, a senior, was never tested in the first half, and Hulsizer, a sophomore, made three saves in the second.

“It was great to get the shutout,” Schott said. “We haven’t got one for a while.”

In Sunday’s match against visiting Montana, the Viks again took the lead off another error by their opponent, this time in a bit more spectacular fashion.

Portland State’s Martin, a sophomore forward, crossed a ball in from the right flank with less than five minutes left in the first half. Montana defender Courtney Watson, in an attempt to clear the ball, executed a fully extended diving header, but accidently deflected the ball into her own net to give the Vikings a 1-0 advantage.

The Lady Grizzlies tried to come up with an equalizer in the second half, but instead watched as Ross made it 2-0 in the 80th minute of play with a second-effort goal after being tackled in the box.

The Vikings found their third and final goal of the afternoon in the 87th minute. Dutra took a corner kick from the right, and freshman midfielder Hannah Kimsey rose up to head the ball into the top right corner of Montana’s goal.

“Dutra put in a very nice ball,” Kimsey said. “I was in the right place at the right time.”

Schott said that Sunday’s game wasn’t the prettiest she has seen, before adding that Ross and Kimsey sealed the game to bring it home for the Vikings.

Jarvis stayed at net for all of Sunday’s game, recording her second shutout of the season and fourth of her career.

“We are looking forward to next weekend, and having six points going forward,” Schott said.

With this win, the Viks move to the top of the Big Sky Conference standings with two wins in the first two games. They continue conference play on Friday and Sunday, when they play Northern Colorado and Northern Arizona on the road. ?